Gauging device



Patented Aug. 29, 1944 GAUGING DEVICE Merrill W.V Hazeltcn, Cincinnati, and Ralph S. Diserens,.Mount Healthy, Ohio,.assig-nors to-The Cincinnati .Shaper Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio v A n Y u Application January 13, 1942, seria1No.-426,644

" 4 claims.

This invention relates to devices for gauging and more particularly to a deviceY for use in connection with a shear or similar machine toyindicate accurately the location of the cutting edges, whereby a sheet of metal to be sheared along a scribed line may easily and accurately be positioned for shearing by .an operator at the front of the machine rendering it unnecessary to step to the side or back of the machine or look underneath in order to check the alignment.

It is an object of the invention to provide a device of the kind outlined which will be eX- tremely simple in construction and foolproof in operation. It is another object of the invention to provide such a device which may be adjusted if the shear knife is changed. It is still another object of the invention to provide a device of this character which will in no way interfere with the operation of the machine and which will not, therefore, in any way cut down the speed of operation. It is still a further object of our invention to provide a gauge which is concealed and which, although it contains certain fairly sensitive parts, is not subject to damage by reason of a shockproof mounting.

These and other objects of the invention which will be pointed out in more detaily hereinafter or will be apparent to one skilled in the art upon reading these specifications, we accomplish by that certain construction and. arrangement of parts of which we shall now describe an exemplary embodiment.

Reference is now made to the drawing forming a part hereof and in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary view of a shear from the operator side with a portion cut away to show the construction.

Fig 2 is a vertical cross sectional view through a portion of the shear showing the table with the xed knife, the ram with the moving knife and the hold-down beam showing the invention in its operative relationship with the other parts.

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a partial cross sectional view on an enlarged scale taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Briey, in the practice of the invention, we provide a source of light which will be shielded in part so as to throw a denite shadow. AThe shadow is to indicate the line of shear and the shield is, therefore, made adjustable so as to take care of shear knives of different thicknesses. kSince a line to be shown is a long one, we prefer to provide a more or less linear source of light more spelamp. *Y This source of light isV mounted in the shockproof `manner in the frame as will be d escribed hereinafter. I

Referring now to the drawing, We haveshown the table'l carrying the lined knife I-I, a ram I2 carryingv the reciprocating knife I3 mounted therein in the usual manner .asby means of bolts I4. A portion of the hold-down beam is shown at I5 and a series of hydraulic hold-downs are shown at I6. A piece of metal to be sheared is indicated in broken lines at I1. The foregoing par-ts of a shear may be in all parts conventional and they twill not be described in detail since they form no part of the present invention.

The hold-down beam I5 is cut away, as shown at I8, to provide recesses for one or more lights. We will now describe the mounting of a single light, but it will be clear that any desired number of lights may be provided in the shear and that in the embodiment shown in Fig. 1 there are three such lights which together with their mountings are in all respects similar to the one we are about to describe.

The recess I8 is covered by a plate I9 which is 'preferably set into the frame to be ush therewith and held in place by any desired fastening ele.

ments such as the screws 20. The plate I9 carries a pair of studs 2I which may be threaded into the plate I9 as shown, or fastened thereto in any desired manner. The studs 2| are threaded and serve to carry a plate 22 in the manner now to be described. The plate 22 has a perforation somewhat larger than the stud ZI, said perforation being indicated at 22a. v Fitting tightly within this perforation is a rubber core 22b which has an internal diameter to iit snugly over the stud ZI. In assembling the plate 22 to a stud 2|, a pair of lock-nuts 23 are threaded on to the stud followed by a washer 24 .and a soft rubber washer 25. The plate22 is then put in its place followed by a second soft rubber washer 25, a second washer 24 and another pair of lock-nuts 23. It will be clear from this description that the plate 22 is ciflcally lof a type known as a iiuorescent tube mounted to the studs 2l in a shockproof manner in that, there is no direct connection except through rubber between the members 2| and 22.

Fastened to the plate 22 at the ends thereof, are a pair of brackets 26 between which is mounted in conventional manner the illuminating element 21. Fitting snugly around approximately three-quarters of the circumference of the envelope of the illuminating element 2'I is an opaque sheath 28 which may readily be made from thin springy metal. The sheath 28, as will be clear, may be rotated around the member 21 to any desired position and by Virtue ofthe springiness thereof will remain in the desired position.

In practice the sheath 28 is rotated so that the edge'28a thereof denes a shadow indicated diagrammatically by the broken line 28h and so that the shadow 281) follows exactly on the cutting edge of the fixed knife I I- Y It will now be clear` that if a piece of metal is to be cut to a scribed line, it is only necessary to 'align the scribed line with the shadow v281) whereupon the piece is correctly lined up to be sheared along said scribed line.

The hold-down beam I5 is also recessed as at I VVPatent,is: .v

1. In combination Witha` shear or the like, means for casting a shadow to indicate" the position ofthe cutting edge on a Work piece, said means comprising a source of light and a sheath to cast a straight linear shadow.

3. In combination with a shear or the like, optical means for indicating the position of the cutting edge on a work piece and means for mount- I ingvsaid optical means in a shockproof manner,-

said last mentioned means comprising a stud fixed to the frame of the machine, a bracket having arubber core iitting over said stud and rubber washers bearing against said bracket from both sides and means for holding said washers in position on said stud.

4. In combination with a shear or similar device, means for defining the position that the Y cutting edge will assume on contact with the work straight linear shadow on the work at said posi- 1 tion toindicate theline of cut.

MERRILL V'HAzErron RALPH s. DIsERENs. 

